Young champions demand better sex ed, health for youths

A fresh crop of young champions have begun pushing to integrate youth-friendly services in primary health centres for young people who would otherwise have no access to health care. Francesca Abiola is among the first cohort of “champions for change” programme in Nigeria, and a programme officer for Action Health Incorporated, which promotes health and […]

A fresh crop of young champions have begun pushing to integrate youth-friendly services in primary health centres for young people who would otherwise have no access to health care.

Francesca Abiola is among the first cohort of “champions for change” programme in Nigeria, and a programme officer for Action Health Incorporated, which promotes health and wellbeing of young people.

The target of its start-out integration is at a primary health centre in Ijora-Badia, a Lagos slum community.

“It has gone through a lot of unrest—violence, sexual violence, teenage pregnancy,” Abiola tells Daily Trust on the sidelines of the 2016 Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen.

“These young people, there is really no where for them to access health services, because they wouldn’t voluntarily go to regular health centres.”

The initiative started last year, and Lagos state Primary Health Care Development Board has given approval for the facility to be used to offer general, reproductive health and counselling services.

The work of getting interest in young people’s sexual and reproductive health means “making people recognize the need for what I am advocating,” says Abiola.

“If people don’t understand it, then it is lost. The issues around sexuality for young people, people consider it private, that you shouldn’t even talk about sexuality.

But first is to recognize the need: that young people need access to services. If you don’t look at the bigger picture, there’s no way you will buy into this vision.”